Hermit Bight

We have been very lucky with the wind direction and forecasting during our Bahamas cruise. Every time we move the prevailing easterly winds come around to an angle allowing us to have easy sails to our next anchorage. Today we had a very smooth light wind close hauled sail back to Cat Island. This time we anchored in the bight off the town of New Bight (24d16.61 N, 75d25.49 W, 10 ft (MLW+2) sand with starfish). On the VHF radio we heard the sportfishers out of Hawks Nest Marina complaning about the lack of fish and one even asked the resort to cook a frozen steak that he was bringing ashore. This made the tuna we caught the other day seem even more tasty.

The Bight has a jetty for landing the dinghy near the road that leads up to the Hermitage (30 minute walk). Also near the jetty is the town hall including police station, court and the obligatory BaTelCo antenna tower.


The Hermitage on Cat Island is a miniature Franciscan Monestary built by and for Fr. Jerome the hermit in the 1940's as his retirement home. Atop lofty Mt. Alvernia (206 ft) it overlooks the deep blue Atlantic to the East and the shallow Aquamarine of the Bahamas to the West. Complete with stations of the cross trail leading up, bell tower, chapel, kitchen, sleeping quarters, water catchment, and sun dial - all made from coral rock and concrete - it remains quite a tourist attraction with a half dozen people or so signing the guest book in the small chapel every day. Fr. Jerome lived to be 80 and is buried in a cave under structure.